Ingredients
For the pumpkin muffin batter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 15 oz pumpkin puree (one 15 oz can)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
This mix of pumpkin, oil, sugars, eggs, and flour is very similar to other moist pumpkin cream cheese muffin recipes that rely on canned pumpkin puree and vegetable oil for a tender crumb.
For the cream cheese swirl
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla are the same core ingredients used for sweetened cream cheese fillings and swirls in comparable pumpkin muffin recipes.
Step-by-step instructions
Prepare the pan and dry ingredients
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the sections of a muffin tin with cupcake liners. This temperature and liner setup match many pumpkin cream cheese muffin recipes that bake around 375°F.
- In a bowl, sift or whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Combining the dry ingredients first distributes leavening and spices evenly, a standard step in pumpkin muffin recipes.
Mix the pumpkin batter
- In a large bowl, blend together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Other recipes begin the batter exactly this way, mixing pumpkin with both sugars to break up brown sugar lumps and create a smooth base.
- Add in the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract, stirring or whisking until well blended.
- Add the dry ingredient mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just smooth and combined. Avoid overmixing; similar muffin recipes caution that overmixing can make muffins tough instead of tender.
Fill the muffin cups
- Spread or spoon the batter into the cupcake liners in the muffin tin, filling each about 2/3–3/4 full. Pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffin recipes typically aim for this level so there’s room for the cream cheese swirl while still achieving a nice dome.
Make the cream cheese swirl
- In a separate bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and the egg yolk until completely smooth and creamy, with no lumps. This matches the method for cream cheese swirl fillings in other pumpkin muffin recipes.
- Put a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture into each cupcake liner on top of the pumpkin batter. Most recipes use about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese per muffin.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese into the muffin batter in each cup. The goal is to create a marbled pattern, not to fully mix; similar recipes emphasize not over‑swirling so you keep visible streaks of cream cheese.
Bake and cool
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are completely cooked through. A toothpick inserted into the pumpkin portion should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs (avoiding the cream cheese pocket when testing).
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Most pumpkin cream cheese muffin recipes suggest cooling in the pan briefly before moving to a rack to prevent soggy bottoms and to let the structure set.